These past two weeks has been one for the books. Since the last blog, I visited the Reina Sofía National Art Museum, went to Madrid’s Chinatown, saw my host family in Valladolid (the kids LOVED the snacks), hung out with friends, and had very productive days at work.
Having already visiting the Prado Museum here in the past, the Reina Sofía was one I really wanted to visit for a while. The artworks of Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso were amazing to see, especially Picasso’s famous Guernica piece. There were so many other artworks of many Spanish artists that filled the museum, and walking around I noticed it was primarily a museum of modern and contemporary art. The Prado museum holds more classical European works with pieces of Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, and El Greco. Of course, this isn’t all but simply the names that stand out the most. This is to say, the Reina Sofía museum was amazing and cannot be compared to the Prado museum due to their distinct and differing artworks. Each holds intrinsically beautiful pieces that make the museums what they respectfully are.
One of my roommates and I this day also went to the Chinatown of Madrid where there was a diverse array of stores, foods, and culture. If anyone reading now has been to cities like New York or Chicago, seeing their Chinatown and the one here is quite similar but still holds their unique qualities. Having been to the Chinatown in New York, I feel as if there was a more diverse range of people that would visit the area than Madrid. Here, you see a mostly concentrated Chinese community roaming around together which is a fact that I recently learned working with my organization here. Apparently, many of the Chinese immigrants in Madrid like to stick together, and stay within their community than to expand out. This is to say, that there is somewhat of a cultural difference in being in Spain versus the U.S. When I think of Nashville, yes, we do see more concentrated areas of immigrants or people of color around the city. However, I noticed that I feel as if it’s still somewhat more diverse when roaming around in Nashville, compared to here. In Madrid, even myself as an Asian, if I walk around certain parts of the city that may have a much smaller racially diverse population, I experience being looked/stared at as I walk by. It’s definitely an odd feeling but something that I’ve become accustomed to while having been here in the past and today.
Next, my trip to Valladolid was one I truly cherished. Seeing my host family again after a while was so fun, and I was able to see the kids’ triathlon competition! Once they were done, we spent time at the pool at their grandparents’ house eating wonderful homemade lasagna and playing paddle. We celebrated the recent birthdays of the daughter and the dad, and it was a beautiful day to spend time with one another. Although it was only a day trip, I made the most out of it as I could and couldn’t be more grateful for their hospitality.
I also had an incredible last two weeks at work. Going through paperwork, the data we collected while going to different parts of the city, and taking calls, I’ve learned so much about what the recent immigrants in this community seek for. Many people are in search of job opportunities but face difficulties finding them due to their lack of paperwork. Thus, they seek the organization’s help to find places that take in individuals without them while we help them through the process of getting those paperwork done. My coworker and I went back to Villaconejos after a while to assist a Moroccan family receive their paperwork as well as sign other individuals up for Spanish classes to better their speaking, writing, and reading abilities. We also went back to Carabaña to help others as well, and I was able to practice speaking English with someone who asked for time with me to talk. It’s been a great two weeks of experience since the last, and I continue to look forward to what I can learn about myself and this community through my work with this organization.
I’ve realized that my last post has been deprived of photos, so here are some that I’ve taken since then!
Side note: It’s been sweltering hot these last few weeks... According to many of the locals, the Madrilenian summer heatwave has begun early.
